Researchers at Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the department of systems biology at Harvard Medical School have discovered a way to use lines of engineered E. coli bacteria to make targeted precursors of high-octane biofuels, the Wyss Institute has announced. The same lines can also produce precursors of pharmaceuticals, bioplastics, herbicides, and detergents, the institute says. "Sustainability is one of the biggest problems we face today, and developing potent biofuels to replace gasoline is a major challenge...